The 9 Worst Mistakes Us Military Rookies Make—and How to Avoid Them

What Are Rookies in a Military Academy?

In this day and age, when all of our young people are going off to college and joining the military, people want to know the benefits they can get from being in the military. As someone in the military for three and a half years, I can tell you that the benefits are many and varied. The primary use that you'll have is camaraderie. You'll be surrounded by people who have gone through things that you can't and are now living life as usual, just like you.

There are other things that you will get out of being in the military, especially if you are a rifleman. For example, you'll be in the best physical condition possible because you'll be in the front line of the training regiment. In addition, you'll be put in an actual military academy where you'll be under the strict supervision of upper-level officers. So it's much more than just basic training with classes on gunfire and such.

Another benefit of being a part of the military is that they will teach you much about leadership. It includes knowing how to handle yourself under stressful situations and how to come up with quick and appropriate answers to challenging problems.

9 Worst Mistakes Us Military Rookies Make

Everyone in the US military makes mistakes from time to time. These mistakes are the reason why you struggle so much. You feel like you are a failure. That is because you have made so many mistakes that it is killing you emotionally.

Military mistakes don't get you a medal, a citation, or an award. Instead, they make you lose your self-confidence. To survive in the US military, you have to make yourself valuable. It means you have to prove to your peers that you are essential. If you cannot do this, it becomes easy to make silly mistakes that cost you your life. Let's take a look at the nine most common mistakes that we military personnel make.

Order Request

A common mistake is confusing an order with a request. When you have an order, you generally give it a number. This number is referred to as your order number. If you are confused about the order, you are likely to make a tactical error. For instance, if you find that the number your buddy is wearing is 99xt, instead of requesting 99xt, you most likely would tell him to report to you as soon as they get to the field.

Disobedience

Another standard army officer error is disobedience. There have been times where officers have been court-martialled or reprimanded for insubordination. Disobedience is the act of diverting one's attention from his assigned tasks to other things. It could lead to a serious charge, so an officer should learn to put aside his desires and duties if he genuinely wants to serve his fellow soldiers.

Poor Planning

A few other joint army officer errors are poor planning and mobilization. Most of these problems occur when there is poor coordination between the field personnel and the headquarters. For instance, the US Army, according to a famous saying, "let's face it; we need some help with this," indicates that the officers and the troops are indeed working in tandem. However, they need the support of their higher officials. Lack of proper coordination often results in disastrous operations.

Poor Judgement

Poor judgment is another standard army officer error. It is not uncommon to find that most common army mistakes happen because of poor judgment. An example of this would be desertion. Officers may choose to leave the battlefield even before the war has started. Another common mistake is poor planning. For instance, an operation to capture a key city or a strategically important point may be planned out tactically rather than strategically.

Bad mood

Another error that can occur while at war is getting into a bad mood. Sometimes this comes about because you are tired, frustrated, or anxious. Getting in a bad mood will hurt your performance. You will either be distracted and not focused or lose your mind and make tactical errors that you are not supposed to make.

Authority

One of the most common mistakes that officers commit is failing to establish authority. An officer is expected to be a strict leader, which means that he should also be strict with his subordinates. Failure to do so can result in numerous infractions and charges. An erring officer should know that there will be consequences for his actions, so he should at least do what is expected of him before he even gets started.

Planning

One mistake that military officers are guilty of is failing to plan. When planning a mission, it is essential to write down your goals and objectives. Write them down so that you can look at them every day. Then, be prepared to face hardships and setbacks along the way.

Communication

Another mistake that we military commit is failing to communicate effectively with our peers and leaders. It may sound unassuming, but it is one of the most critical mistakes that anyone in the military could make. For us to succeed every time, we need to listen to each other and advise one another. Failure to do this can cause us to make poor decisions, which can also be a recipe for disaster.

Insubordination

Another standard army officer error is insubordination. Insubordination can take many forms. An example of this is when an officer refuses to report to headquarters even though he is ordered. It can lead to severe consequences, such as being court-martialled or reprimanded. The most common form of insubordination occurs when an officer refuses to report to his superiors for fear of punishment.

How to Avoid Common Army Officers Mistakes - 2 Quick Tips to Follow

The US Army has a lot of things to teach modern-day soldiers. One of the most important things that they are taught is how to avoid common army mistakes. They can use different ways on how to prevent such errors. One of the ways that they are trained is through psychological exercises. According to Shalom Lamm, this is a way of testing the soldiers' mental strength and alertness.

In psychological exercises, they will be given a series of psychological games, including choosing the wrong path in war, making mistakes while moving from one position to another, and many others. As these games are playing out for the soldiers, their psychological conditions and reactions are being evaluated. It is how to avoid familiar army officers' mistakes.

Another way of avoiding common army blunders by Shalom Lamm is by making sure that they are properly guided. When they do not know what to do, they should be constantly referred to know what to do. For example, if they encounter a hostile situation and cannot decide what to do, they should be guided on where to go. It is how to avoid common army blunders.

Since most of these mistakes are made by poor planning, you can make sure that you will avoid these blunders. It is how to prevent familiar army officers' mistakes. Shalom Lamm advises preparing for any situation you might encounter in the field. It would be safest if you also were ready for battle situations. You need to know what to do so that you will be able to win. There are some tips on how to plan for this kind of situation. The first one is to be prepared with your equipment.

Aside from this, it would help if you also were prepared to get any help that you can get. For example, if there are people who can lend you a hand in battle, you should be grateful for that. Also, if you are badly wounded or cannot perform well in action, you need to be thankful to those willing to sacrifice their lives for you. In this way, you will avoid common army blunders like dying while giving your all during battle. And lastly, if you want to learn how to prevent familiar army officers' mistakes, the first tip that you can follow is to always focus on your goals and objectives.